Method of producing predigested food.



CHESTER B. Durnwa,A o

E NEW YORK, N. Y.

' METHOD 0F PRODUCING PREDIGESTED FOOD.

Application led February 17, 1910.

Specification of Letters Patent.

To all whom it may concern.'

Be it known that I, CHESTER B. DURYEA, a

citizen of the United States, and resident of the borough of Manhattan, in the city and State of N ew York, have invented a new and useful Method of Producing Predigested Food, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a new method for the commercial production of partially or wholly digested cereal or starch products, in one or more steps of which method elec` tric, for instance, alternating electric or electro-magnetic treatments are applied in place of so-called acid hydrolysis or enzymic digestion.

Among the many advantages .associated with this new process as such, lthere may be mentioned an inherentability to produce somewhat purer products, especially as regards nitrogenous residues, than, for instance, my enzymic maltose process (see my United States Patent No. 746933, December 15, 1903,) is capable of yielding; and finally, perhaps not least important of all, provision for the direct application in this connection of natural power derived energy (hydroelectric), so as to accomplish, in part, what is now largely effected orcarried on' through the use of fuels.

The commodities yielded b v this process g are especially advantageous, as in dietetic use, they increase available human energy, generally, and tend to prolong life, through the conservation of metabolic forces. Moreover,

their use entirely obviates the specific poisoning or injurious by-effects-to which people are at present liable, owing to the frequent indigestion of impure or unsuitable carbohydrate foods, and finally, the commercial cost of the products yielded by this process is extremely moderate.

Turning now to the operation of the proc* Patented sept. 15,1914. serial No. 544,501.

The next step, according to my preferential procedure, is to further purify the still somewhat crude green starch, -in conformity with the principles of my practice of carrying general and specific refining as far as possible, before solution of the starch asl such, and its distribution throughout a general menstrum, z'. e., before pasting or dissolving the granules'. This step is most effectively carried outL and the-starch granules are best prepared. for the most advantageous practice in subsequent stages of the process, by means of relatively mild acid hydrolysis in aqueous suspension at temperatures not damaging to the granules, followed by dilution and re-running or tabling. (For the philosophy of this procedure'and for further details, see my United States Patent No. 91668-1, March 30, 1909).

Still following the practice I prefer, the purified modified starch resulting from the two preceding steps, is placed in aqueous suspension at a. suitable gravity, dependent upon the extent to Which the starch had been modified, but which may be, for in-l stance, about 18 Baum.

The 'aqueous suspension of preferably purified modified starch, with or ywithout ,neutralizatiom partial or complete, of any.

preexisting acidity, or with or wit-hout slight acidification, for example, with HC1 to the extent of 0.01% by weight of the water present, (methyl orange or an equivalentbeing used as the indicator), may then be subjected to a gelantinizing or cooking treatment, at above or below the normal boiling point of the mass, in apparatus of any suitn able character, many forms being-well known to the art. Charges of the purified modified starch or paste resulting from the previous steps (after adjustment of acidity from the lastmentioned step, if advisable) are now coness, its basic material may include starchy verted or saccharified to the desired extent substances such as cereals, potatoes, etc., or may consist of the ordinary industrial starches, taken` from any stage in their manufacture.

In order to produce products Aof ultra organic and inorganic purity as economically and as expeditiously as possible I prefer, however, to begin with furnishing what is known in the art as greenstarch, 2'. e., wet or damp unfinished starch, at a stage in manufacture where it has been largely relined or separated from impurities.

vthrough subjecting them to the action of alternating electric currents, for instance, by means of treatment in a vibrating electro# magnetic field of about 440 to 480 oscillations per second.

Neutralization, if necessary, filtration, and further refining and concentration` which may be accomplished in any well known manner, may now be proceeded with.

In further detail the above-outlined preferred procedure may be carried out as follows when operating upon starch from Gti ffrhe may be steeped', ground, seiVed, etc., in. the

usual mannerfor producing crude green posited upon the well knownruns or-.tables This crude greenstarch'lmay then be taken from the 4runs, and j.

laced'inf suspension in "bout Baume, and

chloric d',- to the extent of about .1'to .2 of oneperfcentby vveight -on thetotal Water,k present.' 'Ihetemperature of the mass' may l suspension by any ydlluted Withyvater to about 5 Baume,

pa-ratusV for this saccharication la point'not above '559 thirty pounds per. square inch,

a tating means.

about twenty toxfort minutes,

etc. The cooked charge may thenbeblown out of the converter; and saccharii'ed by means .of .treatment in a Vibrating electroa5 magnet field. One'practical form of apgrammatically represented in'the accomterminals ron'ra jgsource of electricipower (not shown) 3,54; represent; wiresleading from these terminals to a commutator 5, for reversing the current and controlling the number of reversals per second. A variable resistance coil is represented' by iand is connected by a wireflTltd-the commutator 1 5, and by a. wire 8 to a solenoid 9, which latteris connected by a- -wire `10 with the commutator 5. A tube 11 passes through the solenoid 9, which tube may b e of any convenient r or desired material" such, for instance, as gun metal. The charge vto be sacchariied may be continuously passed through this tube in the solenoid 9 is -indicated by arrows, or thetube may be so constructed as to receive a charge, hold it for a period, and then be emptied to be filled again in repeating the operation.

The apparatus above described may be of any convenient dimensions, in the tube 11 may be subjected to the action of alternating electric currents, the magnetic eld in which it is being treated in the tube being of about four hundred and forty to four hundred and eighty oscillations per second. Saccharication, by 'this' electric starch and." latter de-y C., and heating conperiod thestarch is maintained m` out for from l depending upon the extent of mo ication of thestarch,

step is diaand the charge' l nutons;

treatment, hating been carried 'to the desired point, neutralization may be effected in the usual Way, using soda-as vto a point of approximate:v neutrality .to methyl 1 orange.

vFiltration, refining and" concentration may then be carried outaccording to Well known methods. 4 While I have mentioned the use of. alternating electric currents 1n carrrying out the preferred form of this vinventio'n-I do noti intend to limit myself to anyparticular form of electriccurrent, as any 'electric current may be resorted to Without .departing from the scope of -this invention. And I also desire it to be clearly understood that in using the Word modified I do not vintend to limit the extent of modification orlconverf sion to the range of modification' of commercial thin boiling starches,

tion. -Furthermore, ous changes, from the practice he'rein set forth, may beadopted while still operating Within lthe* prlnciples 4of this invention,

hence I do not intend that the inventionv as pointed out in the claims, shall be limited by the preferred practice--hereihbefore described; but y What I claim is 1. The method f producing apredig'ested edible'v product comprisingv first, providing'.

subjecting it to the action of an electric current for the a modified starch and second purpose of further. conversion.

2. The method of producing a predigested edible-product comprising `rst, providing a purified modified starch and second, sub] ect ing it tov for the purpose of further conversion:

3. The method of producing a predi ested edible product comprising first, provi ing a purified modified starch, second, cooking it, an

and third, subjecting it to the action o electric current for the purpose of. further conversion.

4. The method oi producing a predi -ested but intend. to include any appreciable extent of modificait is obvious that varithe action of an electric current edible product comprising irst ,`provi ing a modified starch, second, cooking it, third, subjecting it to the action'o an electric current for purpose of further conversion, and fourth, rening the product.

5. The method. of producing a predi purified modified starch, second, cooking it, third, subjecting it to the action of an-elec-v tric current for the purposecr` further conversion, and fourth, refining and concentrating the product.

ested edible product comprising first, `provi ing a 6. The method of producing a predigested l edibie product comprislng vrst, providing amodied starch by vacid-hydrolysis, and second, subject-ing it to the action of an electric current `for the purpose of further conversion. 7 The method of producing a predigested edible product comprisin first, providing a purified modified starch y acid hydrolysis, 'and second, subjecting it to the action of an electric current for the purpose of fur- 5 ther conversion.

8. The method of producing a predi ested edible product comprisin first, provi ing a purified modified starch y acid hydrolysis,

second, cooking it, and third, subjecting it l10 to the laction of an electric current for the purpose of further conversion.

9. The method of producing a, predigested edible product comprising first, provi ing a 

